Is a kid who is behind in reading going to get an IEP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. I will try the reading in one minute test with him. This is similar to what the teachers showed us to report on his progress. I can't remember exactly, but I think it was supposed to be about 50 words for grade level, and he got 20-something.

There's no doubt he is not reading the number he should be. The question is why and what to do about it. What's confusing is that when I read stuff about dyslexia, it doesn't seem to fit. He comprehends remarkably well - he may struggle with a passage but then get to the end after sounding out a lot of words and taking a long time, but he'll know what it was about (way better than my other kid who learned to read with little trouble). He can sound things out decently. He just seems to not have the knowledge base of the content. He is getting there with it but slowly.

A colleague of mine has a kid with dyslexia and recommended some organizations that I reached out to. I still don't really understand what I am looking for in an evaluator - a neuropsychologist? We are set up at CAAT for one with our older kid. It's a huge process with tons of forms and parent interviews. I just don't feel like our other kid needs that kind of thorough process. I'd really just like someone knowledgeable to assess how his reading is going. I'm not opposed to something else, but it's way overkill for a kid otherwise doing well socially, behaviorally, and attention-wise at school.

I posted about the DIBELS. Reading 20 something words per minute in second grade is really behind. In the interim I know you said he was tired but if you can do 10 or even 15 minutes a day with him on reading, we used a British program that teaches synthetic phonics. Here is what level A teaches:
https://www.soundfoundations.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/DBA7-web-1.pdf

Here is a link to the program: https://www.soundfoundations.co.uk/en_US/

They have a really good spelling program as well. It is pretty cheap like each book was around $30 so totally worth it just to try it out and see if it works for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. I will try the reading in one minute test with him. This is similar to what the teachers showed us to report on his progress. I can't remember exactly, but I think it was supposed to be about 50 words for grade level, and he got 20-something.

There's no doubt he is not reading the number he should be. The question is why and what to do about it. What's confusing is that when I read stuff about dyslexia, it doesn't seem to fit. [b]He comprehends remarkably well - he may struggle with a passage but then get to the end after sounding out a lot of words and taking a long time, but he'll know what it was about [b](way better than my other kid who learned to read with little trouble). He can sound things out decently. He just seems to not have the knowledge base of the content. He is getting there with it but slowly.

A colleague of mine has a kid with dyslexia and recommended some organizations that I reached out to. I still don't really understand what I am looking for in an evaluator - a neuropsychologist? We are set up at CAAT for one with our older kid. It's a huge process with tons of forms and parent interviews. I just don't feel like our other kid needs that kind of thorough process. I'd really just like someone knowledgeable to assess how his reading is going. I'm not opposed to something else, but it's way overkill for a kid otherwise doing well socially, behaviorally, and attention-wise at school.

Actually, your description of his reading is highly indicative of dyslexia, which is one of several underlying reasons why a kid can be diagnosed with a "reading disorder" which is an IEP qualifying type of "specific learning disorder". He is not, as you describe it, sounding out with the rapidity, automaticity and fluency that most kids of a similar age develop. He lacks what is called "rapid automatized naming", which is one of the core deficits of dyslexia. Your DC also seems to have a slow reading speed. This can negatively impact reading, particularly as kids advance in grade level.

You can go to a psychologist or neuropsychologist for the assessment; it doesn't matter, both are qualified and will be accepted by the school. You can talk with the office and "bargain" for something short of a full assessment - if you really want spend very little and want only an assessment of his present reading level, then state that and ask if you can have limited reading achievement testing done just to see where he is and what the price for that would be.

TBH, you should also have an IQ test done. IQ is the context for achievement. A kid who has an IQ at the 85th percentile but is reading at the 40th percentile actually likely has some kind of disorder or issue affecting acquisition of reading. A kid with an IQ in the 40th percentile and reading achievement in the 40th percentile is performing at his expected level. In addition, IQ has some sub-parts that can help shed light about strengths weaknesses that affect learning - processing speed, working memory.

A fuller assessment for dyslexia or other reading problems would include more than IQ and reading achievement - tests like CTOPP, CASL, OWLS, CELF, And OWLS. Read more about those here - https://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/professionals/learn-about-dyslexia/diagnosing-dyslexia/tests

This page spells out dyslexia diagnosis pretty clearly. https://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/professionals/learn-about-dyslexia/diagnosing-dyslexia

You mention that filling out an extensive intake form would be "overkill". TBH, no professional would *not* ask you to fill out an intake - it's just like when you go to any Dr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again. I will try the reading in one minute test with him. This is similar to what the teachers showed us to report on his progress. I can't remember exactly, but I think it was supposed to be about 50 words for grade level, and he got 20-something.

There's no doubt he is not reading the number he should be. The question is why and what to do about it. What's confusing is that when I read stuff about dyslexia, it doesn't seem to fit. [b]He comprehends remarkably well - he may struggle with a passage but then get to the end after sounding out a lot of words and taking a long time, but he'll know what it was about [b](way better than my other kid who learned to read with little trouble). He can sound things out decently. He just seems to not have the knowledge base of the content. He is getting there with it but slowly.

A colleague of mine has a kid with dyslexia and recommended some organizations that I reached out to. I still don't really understand what I am looking for in an evaluator - a neuropsychologist? We are set up at CAAT for one with our older kid. It's a huge process with tons of forms and parent interviews. I just don't feel like our other kid needs that kind of thorough process. I'd really just like someone knowledgeable to assess how his reading is going. I'm not opposed to something else, but it's way overkill for a kid otherwise doing well socially, behaviorally, and attention-wise at school.

Actually, your description of his reading is highly indicative of dyslexia, which is one of several underlying reasons why a kid can be diagnosed with a "reading disorder" which is an IEP qualifying type of "specific learning disorder". He is not, as you describe it, sounding out with the rapidity, automaticity and fluency that most kids of a similar age develop. He lacks what is called "rapid automatized naming", which is one of the core deficits of dyslexia. Your DC also seems to have a slow reading speed. This can negatively impact reading, particularly as kids advance in grade level.

You can go to a psychologist or neuropsychologist for the assessment; it doesn't matter, both are qualified and will be accepted by the school. You can talk with the office and "bargain" for something short of a full assessment - if you really want spend very little and want only an assessment of his present reading level, then state that and ask if you can have limited reading achievement testing done just to see where he is and what the price for that would be.

TBH, you should also have an IQ test done. IQ is the context for achievement. A kid who has an IQ at the 85th percentile but is reading at the 40th percentile actually likely has some kind of disorder or issue affecting acquisition of reading. A kid with an IQ in the 40th percentile and reading achievement in the 40th percentile is performing at his expected level. In addition, IQ has some sub-parts that can help shed light about strengths weaknesses that affect learning - processing speed, working memory.

A fuller assessment for dyslexia or other reading problems would include more than IQ and reading achievement - tests like CTOPP, CASL, OWLS, CELF, And OWLS. Read more about those here - https://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/professionals/learn-about-dyslexia/diagnosing-dyslexia/tests

This page spells out dyslexia diagnosis pretty clearly. https://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/professionals/learn-about-dyslexia/diagnosing-dyslexia

You mention that filling out an extensive intake form would be "overkill". TBH, no professional would *not* ask you to fill out an intake - it's just like when you go to any Dr.

OP here. Thanks - this is super helpful info.

I'm not talking about the form for the eval - I'm talking about the two -hour intake interview and the forms and the two full days of testing and the two-hour parent debrief after. THAT seems like more that what we need. I'd love as much input on his needs as possible and agree on the IQ test, too. Just trying not to have to wait another 6+ months to get in and have a bunch of stuff done that may or may not be necessary.

I'm very frustrated with his school because they absolutely should have handled this better and provided us with recommendations earlier. They have been very weird about it, but for a variety of reasons I won't get into, I feel certain they are not trying to push us out. They just seem not to want to deal with it - like, instead of focusing on homework that would actually help him learn more, they are worried he will feel left out of his peers are doing different homework (huh?).

We expected him to be behind in reading because he went to a non-academic K, meaning he didn't really start reading instruction until 1st. He did not have interest at home, so despite trying, he made little progress on it at home before that, and we assumed he would catch up in 1st. The progress has since has been slower than we expected, so combined with the slow start, it means he is behind. The behind part was thus not a surprise to us and hasn't automatically meant a learning issue... But now it seems to be possibly indicating this.

[Anonymous]

OP again. Just wanted to update in case others have a similar question in the future. We talked with a great provider who has a lot of experience in this area and told us that based on what they are hearing, it does not seem worthwhile to do an in-depth eval. Just as I have said, they said it is hard to tell whether it is a disability or lack of good teaching at this point.

Rather, they recommend using one of the models that is typically used for dyslexia because it works well for anything struggling.

We are also going to go through the IEP process because it will help inform us, whether or not we end up with an IEP and services.

[Anonymous]

Part of the IEP process is a full assessment. I really encourage you to have the school do all of the testing mentioned above. They are obligated to do so legally.

[Anonymous]

You are going to be even more frustrated with the public school process for dyslexia- especially in FCPS.

Find an Orton-Gillnigham tutor and pay for that. It will be the most beneficial.